The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-30
AL FREsCO TRAGEDY.
Booth and Barrett Playing Under q Roofess
Theater In Kansas City.


Thsater In Kansas City.
st. Louis Post Dispatch.
Those eminent tragedans, Messrs. Booth aud
Barrett, have had an experience of wild Western
ways and push in Kansas City which is unique
and which they will not soon forget The COM
pany was booked to open in the now Warder
Grand Opera-house last Monday. The house is
the property OF Col. George ". Warder, the poet
of the Kaw and real estate millionaire. He
startedto build it just sIxty-two days before the
opening and his honor and the honor Of all Kan
sas City were staked on the fact that the build
ing, which is. or should be, i've stories high,
would be completed in time.
The opening took place on Tuesday night in
stead of Monday, and the kilograms sent from
grand success, the only drawback being the
GOODNESS of the auditorium, owing to defect in
the heating apparatus.
P. j. Toomey, the scenic artist who is paint
ing the scenery, came down from Kansas City
yesterday and told Mr.. Levy, of the Booth
Barrett company. all about ii. When Mr. Levy
left Kansas City week ago. the walls were not
up and not bit of plasterinR had been done,
but Colonel Warder was sangune and declared
that everything would be all right Mr.. Toomey
says the walls are still not up, and Messrs.
Booth and Barrett have been playing since
Tuesday night without roof the theater,
and tho fresh breezes from the Kansas prairies
have toyed with the curls OF Mr.. Barrett and
the long ring!ets of Mr.. Booth, while 1t waved
the togas of the supera and kissed the fair
shoulders of the Kansas City beauties who
braved the elements in full dress to see the dis
At O'Clock on Tuesday evening the house
was full of scsfoldine, and the new-laid plaster
was wet and dripping. force of 100 men made
the scaffolding disappear like snow in the sun.
and Colonel Warder stood the edge OF the
stage roof and superntended the job. At 9
o'clock the scaffolding was down, and the doors
were thrown open. The scenery all ready.
but only one set could be used, and tho entire
play of "Othello' was given with this one set,
The actors wanted to play in overcoats and seal-
skin sacks, but heavy woollens were substituted
and the whole tragedy was given A couple Of
big stoves were placed whore the boxes ought to
be, and the audience went and warmed up be-
tween the acts Warmed apartments were pro-
vided for the stars. Many of the ladies had
The Thermometer in the house. owing to the
cold wave and the dampness, was nearly down
to On Wednesday afternoon Julius
Caesar" was given with one scene, and another
performance was given last night under the
shining moon and the blinking stars.
The proscenium piece is not MP and the top of
the curtain and the flies are hid by drapIngs of
blue tissue oil paper The boxes not in. and
the chairs in the parquet and dress circle
not in, temporary chairs being used. There are
four balconies altogether. There is Temporary
railing around one in place of the front, but the
upper galleries have no railing at all.
It is expected that the few feet of wall yet in
tonight, but so far the week of tragedy in
Kansas City at the Warder is without parallel
in the annals of the modern stage. Wednesday
night, in order to fill contract for steam heat,
Colonel Warder hired lot of thresning ma
chimes and attached the boiler-ripes to the steam
beating pipes and pumped steam into the roof
les theater. The tragedians had to play in the
house, because there is guarantee OF SIS, 600
for the week. Enough seats have been sold to
cover It.